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Baxley takes aim at state Senate seat

In this image from video, state Rep. Dennis Baxley, R-Ocala, talks about the Stand Your Ground law.

News Service of Florida

By Dara KamThe News Service of Florida

Published: Wednesday, September 4, 2013 at 6:32 p.m.

Last Modified: Wednesday, September 4, 2013 at 6:32 p.m.

TALLAHASSEE - State Rep. Dennis Baxley, R-Ocala, announced Wednesday he will run for a Senate seat in 2016 as he seeks to replace term-limited Sen. Charlie Dean, an Inverness Republican who defeated Baxley in a GOP primary six years ago.

Baxley, the sponsor of the state's controversial first-in-the-nation "stand your ground" law, made the announcement during an appearance at the Capital City Republican Club.

Baxley's remarks focused mainly on the law, which allows people who feel their lives are in danger to use deadly force without the duty to retreat and provides immunity from prosecution.

After first getting elected to the House in 2000, Baxley ran for the Senate in a 2007 special election but narrowly lost to Dean in the primary. Baxley was elected again to the House in 2010 and serves as Judiciary Committee chairman. He plans to run in 2016 in Senate District 5, which includes all or parts of 10 counties across much of North Central Florida.

Baxley jokingly told the GOP audience Wednesday that he takes up "hot potatoes" and has a "penchant for issues that are colorful."

Speaking to reporters later, the Ocala funeral director delivered, calling President Barack Obama "a very glamorous and handsome and winsome, cool, black guy" and accusing the president of politicizing "stand your ground."

A national furor over the law erupted after Sanford neighborhood-watch volunteer George Zimmerman shot and killed Trayvon Martin, an unarmed, black, 17-year-old last year. Zimmerman claimed he shot Martin in self-defense, and it was weeks before a special prosecutor charged him with second-degree murder.

A jury this year found Zimmerman not guilty, refocusing attention on "stand your ground." Although Zimmerman's lawyers did not use the law as a defense, the law spawned changes in jury instructions that at least one juror said resulted in the not-guilty verdict.

Zimmerman's acquittal also prompted a group of mostly minority young people called the "Dream Defenders" to hold a month-long sit-in outside Gov. Rick Scott's office. Scott, who appointed a task force last year to look into the law, agreed with the task force's recommendations that the law should remain intact.

Baxley has been the leading voice in defense of the National Rifle Association-backed law and said Wednesday that he's done more than 100 national and international interviews on the issue.

Baxley blasted Obama for what he called a "pivot" on "stand your ground" after the not-guilty verdict came out in July. Obama also said states should review the laws and that the laws could lead to violence.

"He went from a position saying 'this young man could be my son' to 'this could be me.' And when he merged those images, I couldn't help but feel some political implications to that, particularly after Al Sharpton had said this was about the '14 and '16 elections," Baxley told reporters.

Baxley also accused Obama and Democrats of using the law to boost their chances in the 2014 and 2016 elections.

"We have a very glamorous and handsome and winsome cool black guy for president. I think they're quite concerned what's going to happen when he's not on the ballot next time. I just don't want them to use this issue. What I saw him do is shift. They can't deliver on the hate crime from the Department of Justice so they pivoted and said let's go look at all these self-defense laws," Baxley said.

Florida House Minority Leader Perry Thurston, D-Fort Lauderdale, said Democrats aren't worried about Obama not being on the ticket in three years.

"The president will probably be somewhat excited that Rep. Baxley thinks he's a cool, glamorous, handsome guy," Thurston said. "But I don't think that we're going to be worried about him not being on the ballot because we're going to have a sharp, attractive young lady on the ballot next time that's going to do just as well."

On a more serious note, Thurston said Baxley and GOP lawmakers who passed similar laws in other states need to back up their bills.

"It's a political issue," Thurston said. "If they don't want to stand behind it and use it as a political issue, I think that says something about the law itself."

<p>TALLAHASSEE - State Rep. Dennis Baxley, R-Ocala, announced Wednesday he will run for a Senate seat in 2016 as he seeks to replace term-limited Sen. Charlie Dean, an Inverness Republican who defeated Baxley in a GOP primary six years ago.</p><p>Baxley, the sponsor of the state's controversial first-in-the-nation "stand your ground" law, made the announcement during an appearance at the Capital City Republican Club.</p><p>Baxley's remarks focused mainly on the law, which allows people who feel their lives are in danger to use deadly force without the duty to retreat and provides immunity from prosecution.</p><p>After first getting elected to the House in 2000, Baxley ran for the Senate in a 2007 special election but narrowly lost to Dean in the primary. Baxley was elected again to the House in 2010 and serves as Judiciary Committee chairman. He plans to run in 2016 in Senate District 5, which includes all or parts of 10 counties across much of North Central Florida.</p><p>Baxley jokingly told the GOP audience Wednesday that he takes up "hot potatoes" and has a "penchant for issues that are colorful."</p><p>Speaking to reporters later, the Ocala funeral director delivered, calling President Barack Obama "a very glamorous and handsome and winsome, cool, black guy" and accusing the president of politicizing "stand your ground."</p><p>A national furor over the law erupted after Sanford neighborhood-watch volunteer George Zimmerman shot and killed Trayvon Martin, an unarmed, black, 17-year-old last year. Zimmerman claimed he shot Martin in self-defense, and it was weeks before a special prosecutor charged him with second-degree murder.</p><p>A jury this year found Zimmerman not guilty, refocusing attention on "stand your ground." Although Zimmerman's lawyers did not use the law as a defense, the law spawned changes in jury instructions that at least one juror said resulted in the not-guilty verdict.</p><p>Zimmerman's acquittal also prompted a group of mostly minority young people called the "Dream Defenders" to hold a month-long sit-in outside Gov. Rick Scott's office. Scott, who appointed a task force last year to look into the law, agreed with the task force's recommendations that the law should remain intact.</p><p>Baxley has been the leading voice in defense of the National Rifle Association-backed law and said Wednesday that he's done more than 100 national and international interviews on the issue.</p><p>Baxley blasted Obama for what he called a "pivot" on "stand your ground" after the not-guilty verdict came out in July. Obama also said states should review the laws and that the laws could lead to violence.</p><p>"He went from a position saying 'this young man could be my son' to 'this could be me.' And when he merged those images, I couldn't help but feel some political implications to that, particularly after Al Sharpton had said this was about the '14 and '16 elections," Baxley told reporters.</p><p>Baxley also accused Obama and Democrats of using the law to boost their chances in the 2014 and 2016 elections.</p><p>"We have a very glamorous and handsome and winsome cool black guy for president. I think they're quite concerned what's going to happen when he's not on the ballot next time. I just don't want them to use this issue. What I saw him do is shift. They can't deliver on the hate crime from the Department of Justice so they pivoted and said let's go look at all these self-defense laws," Baxley said.</p><p>Florida House Minority Leader Perry Thurston, D-Fort Lauderdale, said Democrats aren't worried about Obama not being on the ticket in three years.</p><p>"The president will probably be somewhat excited that Rep. Baxley thinks he's a cool, glamorous, handsome guy," Thurston said. "But I don't think that we're going to be worried about him not being on the ballot because we're going to have a sharp, attractive young lady on the ballot next time that's going to do just as well."</p><p>On a more serious note, Thurston said Baxley and GOP lawmakers who passed similar laws in other states need to back up their bills.</p><p>"It's a political issue," Thurston said. "If they don't want to stand behind it and use it as a political issue, I think that says something about the law itself."</p>